First lady Michelle Obama praises civil rights movement - and tai chi - during China tour
US first lady Michelle Obama promoted ethnic equality, the civil rights movement and religious freedom on the mainland yesterday, raising the sensitive issues on a tour meant to avoid politics.
"In America, we believe that no matter where you live or how much money your parents have, or what race or religion or ethnicity you are, if you work hard and believe in yourself, then you should have a chance to succeed," she told hundreds of students at a high school in Chengdu in Sichuan province.
"We also believe that everyone is equal and that we all have the right to say what we think and worship as we choose," she said.
Sichuan and other provinces neighbouring Tibet are home to a minority of Tibetans, an ethnic group that rights activists say face religious and cultural repression, underscored by more than 120 self-immolation protests by Tibetans in recent years.
Beijing rejects such criticism and blames the acts on separatist forces led by the Tibetan spiritual leader-in-exile and Nobel peace laureate, the Dalai Lama.
